Abraham Lincoln Speeches

The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln Speeches: The Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln on the November 19, 1863 after the victory of the Union forces over the Confederate armies.

Background of the Gettysburg Address

Given four and a half months after the victory of the Union forces over the Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln delivers his speech at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at noonday on the November 19, 1863.

In his short 2 minute speech, Lincoln espouses the principles of human equality, freedom and the need to create a democratic government: a government of the people,by the people, for the people.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln Speeches
The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, while it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here to the great task remaining before us – that from these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

If you would like more information about the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, please visit the page Abraham Lincoln Leadership.

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